Simultaneous hair drying and styling

ABSTRACT

A hair dryer hood is constructed to include air directing means to cause the air used for drying hair to flow in a controlled path around the head to simultaneously dry and shape the hair and thereby produce a hair style setting which is determined by the controlled air flow pattern.

nited States Patent Reed July 9, 1974 [54] SIMULTANEOUS HAIR DRYING AND 2.240.857 5/1941 Pitner 34 100 STYLING FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Inventor! Eva Reed, 4001 Clover Hill n 990,300 9/1951 Frances 34/99. -y, 537,532 11/1931 Germany 34/99 [22] Filed: Sept. 10,1973 P E K h w S rlmary xammer ennet Prague [21] Appl' Na: 396,055 Assistant Examiner-James C. Yeung Attorney, Agent, or Firm.lacob H. Steinberg [52] US. Cl. 34/99, 34/96 [51] Int. Cl. A45d 20/24 57 ABSTRACT [58] held of Search 55 A hair dryer hood is constructed to include air directv ing means to cause the air used for drying hair to flow 56] References Cited in a controlled path around the head to simultaneously @[Xflllh l half 91 9 Lh i ly 199 9929 1. ty UNITED STATES PATENTS setting which is determined by the controlled air flow 1,707,554 4/1929 Hendry 34/99 pattern 1,998,198 4/1935 Lelandm. 34/99 2,023,883 12/l935 Gross 34/99 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 SIMULTANEOUS HAIR DRYING AND STYLING This invention relates to hair dryers of the helmet or hood type including portable hair dryers and the stationary ones used in beauty shops.

In the usual hood dryer, the heated air used for drying the hair is directed inwardly in a substantially uniform manner to provide uniform drying of the hair on the head placed within the hood. As a result, after the hair is dried, the operator must engage in a rewetting of desired areas, with combing and hand air drying to shape or style the hair.

In this invention, the necessity for hand styling is eliminated or minimized by using a hair dryer hood that is constructed to include means to direct the air in a controlled pattern to simultaneously dry and style the hair, the style being determined by the controlled pattern of air flow. As a result, no beautician is needed.

The air directing means can be of various types as will be explained hereafter, but it is preferred to employ manually adjustable structures, preferably swivally mounted air directing nozzles in order that the inward air flow at various points around the hood can be controlled to produce a patterned flow of air.

' In the invention, it is stressed that the hair to be simultaneously dried and styled must be relatively short and unsupported within the drying hood. Long hair will simply pile upon itself and then only drying will be achieved. Of course, supports such as curlers will dry the hair in a shape, but then the curlers must be removed and the hair styled to the desired configuration.

of a portion of the hair.

- The invention will he more fully understood form the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing the hair dryer of the present invention;

.FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the arrangement of the adjustable air nozzles for the drying hood;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through one of the adjustable air nozzles,'taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the valve element for the air nozzle; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a snap-on air deflector for use with the drying hood.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a portable hair dryer including a base 10 containing a suitable heater and fan assembly for forcing heated air through the neck 12 and into the hood 14 which includes a swivel valve 15 as one of the means to direct the flow of air. Snap-on shield 16 made of metal or plastic to replace some of the valves is another means to provide a similar control since one or more such shields may be suitably shaped and located about the hood'to yield similar air flow control. An exhaust pipe, entirely optional, can be used by connecting a pipe attached to an opening at the top of the hood and then connecting said pipe to an exhaust (not shown). Commercial hair dryers, fixed in stationary position, usually have such exhaust means.

Preferably, a set of hand adjustable swivel valvesare used, and they are spatially located as shown in FIG. 2; one valve each at location a pointed at the neck region; one valve each at location b pointed above the ear region; one valve each at location c pointed at the temple region; one valve each at location d pointed at the forehead region; and, finally, one valve each at location 2 pointed at the top of the head region.

An enlarged vertical cross-section in FIG. 3 shows in detail the construction of the manually controlled valve 18 shown in FIG. 4 to enable manual adjustment by turning handle 20 to control the amount of air blown. The universal joint 22 permits control of direction of the air flow. As shown in FIG. 3, the valve is constructed to have a funnel shaped nose 24 and situated therein is a perforated metal or plastic shield 26 to enable the'air flow to be evenly dispersed. The size of the inserted shield can vary in diameter from .A to of an inch.

As a specific example, a description will be given as to how a wind-blown pattern could be obtained using the air controlled pattern means. After the hair is washed and rinsed and, if desired, a setting solution has been included in the last rinse, the valves are prepositioned for direction, and the amount of air flow is set by adjusting the valves to obtain a wind blown pattern. The wet head is then placed under the hood and the current is connected to force the heated air through the valve openings to simultaneously dry and set the hair in a windblown pattern. Vacuum exhaust from the top of the hood may also be employed if desired'to yield a heightened wind blown setting.

This modification of controlled air eliminates the need for a beautician, and the repetitive use of spot wetting and hand air drying to obtain the final setting.

The invention is defined in the claims which follow.

I claim: a

1. Hair drying apparatus for simultaneously styling comprising a hair dryer hood for flowing heated air inwardly upon-a head positioned within the hood and means to supply heated air thereto, said hood including pivotal air directing means to cause the air being blown inwardly to follow a controlled path around the head to simultaneously dry and style the hair in a pattern-determined by the controlled air flow pattern within the hood wherein said air directing means include a plurality of spaced swivel valves manually controllable to regulate the amount of air flow.

2. Hair drying apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which some of said air directing means includes at least one U-shaped snap-on shield attachable to the bottom of the hood to obstruct portions of the interior of said hood to prevent the inward flow of air where the hood is obstructed by said shield.

3. Hair drying apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said air directing swivel valves include a funnel shaped outlet having a perforated shield closure member. 

1. Hair drying apparatus for simultaneously styling comprising a hair dryer hood for flowing heated air inwardly upon a head positioned within the hood and means to supply heated air thereto, said hood including pivotal air directing means to cause the air being blown inwardly to follow a controlled path around the head to simultaneously dry and style the hair in a pattern determined by the controlled air flow pattern within the hood wherein said air directing means include a plurality of spaced swivel valves manually controllable to regulate the amount of air flow.
 2. Hair drying apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which some of said air directing means includes at least one U-shaped snap-on shield attachable to the bottom of the hood to obstruct portions of the interior of said hood to prevent the inward flow of air where the hood is obstructed by said shield.
 3. Hair drying apparatus as recited in claim 1 in which said air directing swivel valves include a funnel shaped outlet having a perforated shield closure member. 